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The Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority (NIA), Prof. Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah says the possibility of his outfit registering Ghanaians who do not have the Ghana Card yet, is dependent on the individuals in question.
According to him, his outfit has the capacity to register the remaining 2.5 million qualified Ghanaians for the Ghana Card.
But he stressed that the NIA can capture these people only if they are willing and ready to submit themselves to the registration process.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile, he told the host Samson Lardy Anyenini, “It is not the case that NIA can capture every Ghanaian. It is the case that NIA can capture every Ghanaian who wants to be captured and will submit herself or himself for that process.”
“So these 2.5 million Ghanaians ought to be people who are willing to attend at any of our district and regional offices or registration centres that we may set up in order to be captured,” he stressed.
He disclosed that the NIA is unable to register all eligible Ghanaians by the end of the year 2022, as Ghanaians were assured because his outfitencountered financial challenges.
Prof Attafuah explained that “Since about August of last year, we have experienced financial constraints in the system and it created a situation where even though we have 3.5 million stock of cards in a bonded warehouse, we are unable to access the cards because of financial difficulty….”
He added that the private partner in the arrangement was owed a considerable amount of money hence the refusal to release the Ghana Cards to the NIA.
Eventually, the NIA boss indicated that the government has been able to assist his outfit to clear up some of the debts on Friday, February 24, 2023.
He was hopeful that this would enable the NIA to release the 3.5 million stock of cards that were in a bonded warehouse within the coming week.
Prof Attafuah reiterated that the NIA had the capability and is ready to register the 2.5 million Ghanaians.
“The framework exists, the plan is there, and we are willing and ready to serve the good people of this country and meet this 2.5 million target as they submit themselves. It is not a problem, it is an assurance from the National Identification Authority,” he said.
